In 2008, C.J. preached a sermon titled "Don't Waste Your Sports" that provided a biblical worldview of sports and answered the question, "How do we play sports for God’s glory and not our own?" We've had it available as a DVD since then, and the response from athletes, coaches, and parents has been encouraging. Now the same content is available in a pocket-sized booklet (just slightly larger than an iPhone), with the addition of two sets of application questions: one for athletes, and a second for parents of athletes.

The booklets are now on sale individually ($4) and in bulk discounts ($3 each for orders of twelve or more). For more information on the booklet, to download the sermon MP3, or to watch the sermon video, visit dontwasteyoursports.com.

On Sunday Maryland was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Michigan State in a buzzer-beater. The game was also the topic of a little wager between C.J. (Maryland) and Kevin DeYoung (Michigan State), which explains why C.J. can be seen sporting Spartan green on Kevin DeYoung’s blog. See here.

Given my love for sports I have an obligation to publish a public service announcement to prepare you for the impending Super Bowl…

O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D

The Super Bowl is the most overrated sporting event in the history of all sports, dating back to the very first Olympics. The NFL thinks so highly of itself, the Super Bowl is assigned Roman numerals.

Yet despite the hype, year after year this game rarely delivers. With few exceptions, most of these games are neither exciting nor memorable (unless your team is participating). With Peyton Manning and Drew Brees in the Super Bowl, there is at least a chance that Super Bowl 44 will be entertaining, but I doubt it.

For me, the only good thing about the Super Bowl is that it means MARCH MADNESS is fast approaching! Don’t get me started on March Madness and college basketball because year after year college basketball always delivers.

Tips for watching the Super Bowl

I’ll give you a Super Bowl game prediction later but for now some things to keep in mind while watching the Super Bowl (or any televised sporting event). If you chose to watch the Super Bowl, here are four tips for watching the game for the glory of God.

1. Strategically assign the remote.

Some prefer to turn off all the commercials; other prefer to just keep an eye on it and turn off the offensive ones. Either way, be proactive about what shows up on your TV screen. One way to do this is to assign one person (someone with both discernment and quick reflexes) to remote-control duty.” This cannot be just anybody. Throughout the game viewers are assaulted with commercials—immoral commercials, commercials that assault and offend one’s intelligence, and commercials with immodestly dressed women (which both tempt men and belittle women). These are as much a part of the Super Bowl as the game itself.

Working the remote requires skill and coordination as well as discernment. This person needs to be paying attention and anticipating commercial breaks. While everyone else enjoys the game, this person is working and always aware of what’s on the TV.

I recommend you establish on the remote an alternative channel that presents no temptation (C-SPAN for example). Turning to C-SPAN will ensure that conversation will take place.

2. Watch proactively.

I encourage fathers to watch actively and discerningly, never passively and superficially. There is no doubt that throughout the game you will hear one superlative after another attributed to the skill of the athletes. The accent throughout the game will be on skill, not character.

Nowhere is the word great mentioned more often in our culture than in the context of professional sports. If you watch any game this weekend and listen to the announcer’s commentary, then like a mantra you’ll probably hear the word great repeated throughout—great, great, great. Yet it may well be that nowhere in our culture is the absence of true greatness more evident than in professional sports. So be careful about cultivating an excessive love for professional athletics in your child.

Without minimizing the skill as a gift from God, I want to direct my son’s attention to character as theologically defined. So as Chad and I watch the game, I will draw his attention to any evidence of humility or unselfishness I observe, as well as any expression of arrogance or selfishness. I will celebrate the former and ridicule the latter.

3. Foster fellowship.

We need to make sure a room full of people are not simply passively watching the Super Bowl. Commercial time can be time redeemed with the right leadership and by a simply changing of the channel to C-SPAN.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s perfectly legitimate to watch and enjoy the game. I’m not advocating that you invite those who have no interest in the game and who want to distract your attention from the game. You can arrange to meet with those people at another time.

No matter who we invite to our homes on Sunday, let’s not just stare at the TV, paying little attention to our families and our guests. Watching the game should involve building relationships.

4. Draw attention to the eternal.

Sometime after the game—that same evening or the next day—it’s helpful for a father to draw his child’s attention to the game in light of eternity. It’s also helpful for us as fathers to be reminded of an eternal perspective.

Apart from those few who listen excessively to sports talk radio, this game will be quickly forgotten. Let me ask you this—who won the Super Bowl even five years ago?

The day before the 1972 Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboy running back Duane Thomas said, “If it’s the ultimate game how come they’re playing it again next year?” Some players seem to get it. Sadly, many fans don’t.

More recently Tom Brady, quarterback of three Super Bowl championships, is quoted in a 60 Minutes interview saying,

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, “Hey man, this is what is.” I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, “God, it’s got to be more than this.” I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be.

I anticipate that in a week or two, after the Super Bowl has been won, the champions will experience this same dissatisfaction. As Augustine said, “You [God] made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.”

We must impart this eternal perspective to our children.

Super Bowl XLIV predictions

Okay, on to predictions.

Who will win? I predict the Indianapolis Colts. No surprise there.

Who do I want to win? I want New Orleans to win because of my friends at Lakeview Christian Center, the Sovereign Grace church in New Orleans.

How can the Saints win? The Saints can win only if they can force turnovers and make some big offensive plays. They will do the latter but not the former, or at least not enough to win. And the Saints’ defense is average at best.

How can the Colts win? Unless Peyton Manning gets hurt before the game or during the game, Indianapolis wins.

Where did this come from? I can only imagine this is the fruit of the gospel displayed in the life of Tim Tebow. Tebow is humble. He is a model of self-sacrifice for the good of others. And he is committed to remain a virgin and to experience the gift of sex as God intends in the context of marriage. His testimony does not go unnoticed, even by a columnist who “couldn't disagree with Tebow more” on abortion.

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Ken Sande, the founder and president of Peacemaker Ministries. Read part one of the interview here.

Ken, what single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

Jonathan Edwards’s Resolution #5: “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.” I reflect on this resolution regularly. I don’t even come close to living up to it, but Edwards’s example spurs me on.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

I lead of team of highly motivated and creative people who are trying to serve the church around the world. We simply could not do this if they saw this as merely being an 8-5 job. Therefore, rather than forcing my vision and ideas on them, I’ve learned (often through their feedback) that I have to take time to listen to them, understand their passions, learn from their experience and insights, and guide the way in developing a sense of ownership in a shared vision and strategy that every one of us wholeheartedly and passionately supports.

Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

I am frequently discouraged by how little of what I think I need to do I actually accomplish. This has been a lifelong struggle: I always want to do more than I am able to do. Coupled with this is my weakness to commit to things I’m unable to follow through on in a timely manner. With my dear wife’s help, I am steadily learning to accept a wisdom principle David Powlison shared with me many years ago: “Not every opportunity constitutes a calling.” Bit by bit, I’m learning to pray more about opportunities before I commit to them and seek to discern those few very important things God wants me to do at any given time.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I run 3-4 miles at least five times a week with longer runs on weekends. I also have a universal gym and use it to maintain muscle tone three times a week. My favorite exercise is simply getting outdoors and hiking through the Beartooth Mountains.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

My family owned a ranch when I was young, so I spent most of my free time riding horses and working cattle rather than playing team sports. (One of my favorite spectator sports is still watching cutting horses work cattle, which is one of the most remarkable examples you’ll ever see of a man and an animal working in complete synchronization.) I have lately developed a strong interest in football, since my son is playing tight end and defensive back for Central High School in Billings. My wife is actually more knowledgeable of this sport than I am, so she is steadily bringing me up to speed.

What do you do for leisure?

My favorite leisure activity is to simply enjoy my family in conversation, laughter, games, or watching classic movies. When we have more time together, I love to hike, backpack, or cross country ski in the Beartooth Mountains south of Billings. A few years ago, our family had the privilege of taking snowcoaches to Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park on New Year’s Day with David Powlison’s family. Another year, Scott Somerville’s family (from Covenant Life Church) came out to Montana to backpack with us. I’ve invited C.J. out to go backpacking several times, but I finally got the distinct impression that he was not as enamored as I am with climbing up mountains and sleeping on the ground.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

My professional education was in mechanical engineering and law. If I wasn’t in ministry, I would have pursued a career that coupled these two professions.

He wants to be left alone so he can manage his personal problems in private.

Not a chance.

The story began unfolding in the early hours of last Friday when he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a tree and a fire hydrant near his Florida home. He refused to speak with the police about the incident, raising curiosity about the circumstances. The story has now escalated into allegations of marital infidelity, and that generated a blog post from Tiger that stated, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” This statement by Tiger has led most to believe that the allegations of infidelity are true.

Hunted by the Media

As expected, the allegations of adultery involving a public figure are attracting a media pile-on. This is a big story with a big audience and it’s a story that will not disappear soon. Tiger Woods is being hunted by the media.

But let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.

And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.

Hunted by Sin

But Tiger is being hunted by something more menacing than journalists. Tiger’s real enemy is his sin, and that’s an enemy much more difficult to discern and one that can’t be managed in our own strength. It’s an enemy that never sleeps.

Let me explain.

Sin Lies

The Bible in general, and the book of Proverbs in particular, reveals an unbreakable connection between our character, our conduct, and the consequences of our actions. These three are inseparable and woven by God into His created order.

Deception is part of sin’s DNA. Sin lies to us. It seeks to convince us that sin brings only pleasure, that it carries no consequences, and that no one will discover it. Sin works hard to make us forget that character, conduct, and consequences are interconnected. And when we neglect this relationship—when we think our sins will not be discovered—we ultimately mock God.

Sin Hunts

We’ve all experienced it: Sin lies to us. We take the bait. And then sin begins to hunt us.

One commentator on Proverbs articulated this truth like this: “The irony of a life of rebellion is that we begin by pursuing sin…and end up being pursued by it!….You can ‘be sure your sin will find you out’ (Num. 32:23).”[1] In other words, sin comes back to hunt us.

In light of this fact, sin is an enemy Tiger can’t manage. He can’t shape this story like he does a long iron on a par 5. Tiger doesn’t need a publicity facelift; Tiger needs a Savior. Just like me. And just like you. And if by God’s grace he repents and trusts in the person and work of Christ, Tiger will experience the fruit of God’s promise that “whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

Conclusion

Tiger cannot intimidate this enemy like he can Pebble Beach or any of the field of professional golfers. And there is no privacy he can claim from this enemy, regardless of his resolve, his silence, or the name painted on his yacht. It’s likely Tiger only perceives the press hunting him out of a vain “curiosity about public figures.” But Tiger is being hunted and hounded by a far greater foe: the consequences of his sin.

And this story should humble and sober us. It should make us ask: Are there any so-called “secret sins” in my life? Is there anything I have done that I hope nobody discovers? Is there anything right now in my life that I should confess to God and the appropriate individuals?

And this should leave us more amazed by grace because there, but for the grace of God, go I.

Welcome back to the final portion of my interview with Pete Greasley, senior pastor of Christchurch in Newport, Wales. You can read part one here and part two here.

Pete, where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

I can’t imagine any man having the privilege to serve a finer group of people than the wonderful folk of Christchurch. My greatest discouragement is when I take my eyes off the grace of God and grieve over how they deserve someone better to serve them! This has been a genuine battle for me at times; but God, through many means of grace, most especially my wife and colleagues, has ‘strengthened my feeble knees’ and I’ve become aware again that His power is perfected in my weakness.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I have a few health issues that make it difficult for me to follow an exercise routine that even borders on the strenuous! However, Jen and I walk some when we can and I get in the odd round of golf, so long as it’s on the flat!

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

As said, I like to play the odd round of golf; but I’m completely useless! Fortunately, the men with whom I play golf are even worse than I! It’s a pathetic sight.

As for watching sport: truth is, I hate it! I can’t believe the amount of time my normally intelligent and hard working friends give to watching, and then tediously discussing, the football! I do find myself thinking “so what?” They tell me I’ve a vital neuron missing and will continue to pray for revelation to open up to me, but I’m not convinced. I think it’s a serious time-waster.

Sport watched in the past 12 months:

Ryder Cup highlights: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ireland v Wales Rugby: 40 minutes (only one half, and that was because I’d made a rash vow concerning carrying Bob Mc Cann through the church on my shoulders if Ireland won the Grand Slam. They did…I didn’t!)

Total sport watched = 2 hours/annum. And I’ll attempt to half that in the next 12 months.

What do you do for leisure?

Prior to the children leaving home, we would spend many hours in the music room singing and playing instruments (all our kids are musicians). I still play for pleasure, but miss ‘the band’!

Jenny and I are very blessed to have a small 300-year-old cottage on the coast in West Wales. We frequently head down there together after the Sunday gathering and spend our day off on Monday rummaging around old antique shops and, in the summer, sailing the bay in my beautiful (albeit rather dangerous) fishing boat.

I also have a bit of a passion for horology. I buy broken old 19th century pocket watches and endeavor to restore them to their former glory. It’s a wonderful thing to see an old watch that hasn’t ticked for, what could be over a century, start to live again. The contrary is also true; I’ve killed a few watches that have been ticking away for centuries until they met me; I am the Newport watch-murderer.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

Prior to taking up a full-time pastoral position 24 years ago, I was involved in starting up a small company that trained folk in computing and the setting up of new computer hardware systems in many companies.

If I were not in ministry I may have continued with this; computers have certainly become popular in the last quarter of a century!

I’d say so! … My friend, thank you for taking time to answer these questions!

Welcome back to my interview with author and speaker Randy Alcorn. You can read the first three portions of my interview here, here, and here.

Randy, do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I bicycle two or three times a week, outdoors in good weather, or on a stationary bike in my office. I also play tennis two to three times a week, usually singles because it’s better exercise than doubles. In the spring I coach high school tennis so am out hitting with the guys four or five days a week. I’m an insulin-dependent diabetic and the exercise is therapy. If I go two days without exercise, I feel lousy.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

We watch NBA and MLB when it comes to playoffs, but not regularly. We try to watch the tennis majors when we can, especially Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

The one sport we watch regularly from beginning to end is the NFL. Nanci is a major pro football fan. She has our kids and grandkids and our kids’ friends and their children over for Sunday night football every week, fixing up a great meal for the 15 or so who show up. When I’m asked to speak in NFL chapels, Nanci’s my main reason for saying “yes,” since tickets come with it and she loves to meet the players. We don’t generally follow college football, until last year when Bob and Pam Tebow invited us to go to Florida and stay with them and watch their son Timmy quarterback the Gators. Suddenly we were wearing blue and orange. We had a blast.

What do you do for leisure?

Tennis, biking, watching a good movie with Nanci. And I read and read and read. Every Monday night we go to our friends’ house where twelve of us, including two pastors and a church elder, gather to watch 24. We are praying that Jack Bauer will come to Jesus.

In December, my leisure consists of daily going to the mailbox hoping for the annual arrival of chocolates from my friend C.J. Mahaney. While I know it would be better by far for C.J. to depart and be with Christ, I pray God will keep him around for Carolyn and his family, and the Sovereign Grace churches; and also to keep those chocolates coming.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

When I was in the eighth grade, a few years before I’d heard the gospel, I filled out a survey asking what I wanted to be. I said an astronomer, philosopher, or teacher. Now, if I couldn’t be a writer, I would just say a teacher, maybe at a Bible college or seminary.

Randy, thank you for your friendship and thanks for investing your time in answering these questions!

Welcome back to the third and final installment of my interview with Mike Pierson, the senior pastor of Providence Church in Bethel Park, Pennyslvania. You can read part one here and part two here.

Mike, what single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

I’m a procrastinator who is trying, by God’s grace, to stop procrastinating. This quote, which I got from your blog C.J., now hangs on my wall and I read it regularly.

No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.

-Alexander MacLaren (1826–1910), Scottish preacher

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

The Gospel would not be good news if it did not reveal the glory of Christ for us to see and savor. It is the glory of Christ that finally satisfies our soul. We are made for Christ, and Christ died so that every obstacle would be removed that keeps us from seeing and savoring the most satisfying TREASURE in the universe—namely, Christ, who is the image of God.

-John Piper, God is the Gospel, p. 62.

Quotes like this from John Piper have shaped every aspect of my leadership; preaching, counseling, leadership development, etc.

Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

If I am not very purposeful, I can become discouraged when people leave the church. I usually wonder what I as a pastor, or we as a church, could have done differently to minister to them.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I am a sporadic exerciser. I have both a weight machine and a stair climber that I use sometimes regularly and sometimes not. I much prefer a sport to just exercising.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

If there is a ball, I love it. Baseball was my favorite growing up, but I have really become a fan of football and college basketball. My oldest son Andrew just completed a “dream” High School football season where his team made it all the way to the State Championship before losing their only game of the year (in overtime). Our family and friends had more fun than ought to be allowed tailgating and cheering him on. My other children play baseball, volleyball, and basketball and I love watching, and even coaching at times. Watching my children compete is a pure joy.

I get to enjoy the occasional game of basketball or ultimate Frisbee and I like to golf. In our basement I play basketball against my sons Caleb and Mitchell. I play on my knees to even out the height advantage. I usually lose.

If possible, I would engage in some athletic competition almost every day.

What do you do for leisure?

Any and all sports above but mostly watching my children play.

Anything with Carla, my wife. It doesn’t matter if we sit at Starbucks, dine at a nice restaurant, or take a walk together. I just love talking with her and looking into her eyes.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

I so desperately wanted to be a professional baseball player. I lived it, I dreamed it, and I gave much to it. However, I was a long way from it. I have been both a Social Worker specializing in children and teens and an insurance agent in my father’s business. I could have been happy doing either had I not been called into the ministry.

My friend, I’m grateful to God that you were called into the ministry. Thanks for your time, Mike!